


Feathering the Nest

by Sid



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: M/M, Mpreg, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-11-03
Updated: 2010-11-03
Packaged: 2017-10-13 02:26:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/131810
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sid/pseuds/Sid
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cam's behavior is unusual – and the reason behind it is even more unusual</p>
            </blockquote>





	Feathering the Nest

**Author's Note:**

> This story would not exist without the inspiration provided by [](http://synecdochic.dreamwidth.org/profile)[**synecdochic**](http://synecdochic.dreamwidth.org/) and [](http://ivorygates.dreamwidth.org/profile)[**ivorygates**](http://ivorygates.dreamwidth.org/) and the Cam Mitchell they envisioned and brought to life.

  
Cam was relaxing with his feet up when Daniel finally got home to the apartment they'd been sharing ever since Daniel's aborted move to the Pegasus galaxy.

"Whoa!" Daniel said, looking around. "Somebody's been cleaning."

"Picking up and tossing stuff, mostly. The actual cleaning starts tomorrow."

"And what brought all this on?"

"Place was getting to be a sty."

Daniel cocked his head. "It wasn't that bad."

"Know what I found under three weeks worth of newspapers, underneath the desk?"

Daniel looked blank. "Three more weeks worth of newspapers?"

Cam shook his head. "Leftover Chinese."

Daniel scrunched up his brow. "We just had Chinese two days ago. How did it get buried under…?"

"This was from Wey Chai's."

"Oh. They…."

"Closed a month ago."

"Okaaay." Daniel looked around the living room. "It looks good." He wrinkled his nose at Cam. "It does seem like a strange way to spend the first day of your week off."

Cam shrugged. The same thought had crossed his mind, but for some reason he hadn't been able to stand looking at the mess for another minute. "I tried not to disturb your stuff too much."

"What?"

Cam snickered as Daniel dashed off to his bedroom/office.

~~~~

Cam was vacuuming when Daniel came home Tuesday night. They waved at each other and Daniel shook his head. Cam grinned. Daniel disappeared from view only to reappear a minute later, frowning.

Cam turned off the vacuum. "What?"

"You changed my bed."

"Yeah. Dusted, changed the beds and towels, did laundry. Just finishing up the vacuuming. Oh, yeah. Mopped the kitchen and bathroom floors."

"What the hell's gotten into you?"

"What are you bitchin' about? Free live-in maid service?"

Daniel looked at him like he was insane. "There's that," he finally admitted.

"Your bathroom is disgusting, by the way."

Daniel's mouth opened slowly.

"I'd appreciate it if you'd clean your toilet. I'll do the rest tomorrow. Okay?" Cam didn't wait for an answer, turning the vacuum back on and resuming his work.

~~~~

Cam had dozed off on the couch, but he woke up when Daniel came home. "What time is it?"

"Late."

"Did you eat?"

"No. Have we got anything?"

"In the fridge." Cam sat up, yawning.

"I see the kitchen got your spic-and-span treatment today," Daniel called from the next room.

"Kitchen and bathrooms." Cam stood up, gave his aching lower back a rub and walked to the kitchen.

Daniel was pulling containers out of the refrigerator and stacking them on the countertop. "What is all this stuff?"

Cam pulled out a chair and sat at the little corner table, which was looking freakishly bare compared to its previous state of clutter. He cocked his head, considering. A vase of flowers, or a plant would look nice. Or maybe a bowl of fruit. They didn't eat enough fruit.

Daniel closed the fridge and pried the lid off the largest container. "Fried chicken?"

Cam turned to look at him. "You really _are_ a genius," he drawled.

Daniel popped another lid. "Potato salad."

" _Mustard_ potato salad," Cam amended. "Baked beans and dinner rolls."

Daniel's stomach rumbled. "You made all this," he said disbelievingly.

"Nah, Pillsbury made the rolls and Van Camp's made the beans. Although I did doctor them up some with chopped onion and brown sugar."

"We have brown sugar?"

"We do now." Cam grinned.

"So, you saw a clean kitchen and got inspired?"

"Yeah." It was a good enough explanation. Cam hadn't really thought about it; he'd just felt like cooking. "Fix me a plate, too, would ya? I'm starving."

~~~~

Daniel came in the door and tossed his keys at the bowl on the stand next to the door. And stood stock still, mouth open, as the keys clattered to the floor.

"I moved some of the furniture around."

Daniel blinked. "Yeah. I can see that." He bent down to pick up his keys.

"There's a hook," Cam said, pointing.

Daniel cleared his throat, hung his keys with an inordinate amount of care and came slowly into the living room.

"You hate it."

"No, no."

"I didn't move anything in your bedroom," Cam said loudly.

"I didn't say anything," Daniel protested.

"I was real careful moving your stuff around out here."

Daniel moved around the perimeter of the room. He paused. "I don't remember that picture."

"I bought a few things. Not much. Don't want the place getting cluttered up again." Cam looked around anxiously.

Daniel shook his head. "You were right. It really had become a sty."

Cam exhaled and bit his lip. "It's better like this, right?"

Daniel came over and clapped him on the shoulder. "I could get used to this. It's… downright habitable."

Cam frowned and looked around. "I was aiming for 'homey'."

Daniel raised his head and sniffed. "What am I smelling?"

"Vegetarian lasagna."

Daniel's eyebrows rose. "This from the man who always orders the Meat Lover's Special pizza?"

Cam shrugged. A little healthy eating wouldn't kill either of them. He decided not to tell Daniel that the sauce was low sodium. "It's ready when you are. It's just keeping warm."

Daniel raised a finger. "Be right back."

Cam hurried into the kitchen to take the bowls of green salad from the fridge and shake up the cruet of homemade Italian dressing. Grabbing the oven mitts he opened the oven door and pulled out the foil-covered pan of lasagna. As he was dishing up the second plate, Daniel entered the room.

"Mitchell."

"If you hate them I'll take them down." Cam carried the plates to the table and sat down.

After a few seconds, Daniel joined him. Frowning, he picked up his dinner fork and cut into his lasagna.

"Let it cool," Cam said. "Eat your salad." He pushed the cruet and the pepper grinder across the table.

Daniel dressed and seasoned his salad, still frowning.

"I know they don't quite match the bedspread, but I came as close as I could, just going on memory."

Daniel raised his head and blinked at him. "No, they're fine. They look… great."

Cam chewed a forkful of salad. "I can't tell if you mean that."

Daniel's lips parted in a smile. "I just wasn't expecting curtains."

Cam felt warm inside. "I was doing my room, so I figured I might as well do yours, too."

"Well, thank you. Please tell me you didn't sew them yourself."

Cam snorted. "I don't sew."

They ate their salads in silence for a minute or two.

"I do know how to knit, though."

Daniel's fork paused halfway to his mouth. "Figures," he said mildly.

Cam grinned and watched intently as Daniel took his first bite of the lasagna.

"Mmm."

"I found the recipe on the internet. Good, huh?"

"Really good." Daniel chewed and swallowed. "It occurs to me that I probably haven't thanked you for any of the work you've been doing around here this week."

Cam ducked his head. "Figured you were just in shock."

"Little bit, yeah. It's… the whole…." He waved an arm around.

"Atmosphere?"

"It's… homey. But not in a kitschy way."

Cam barely heard him. He'd just realized what this table needed. Some nice potted herbs, for a splash of color and function, too. He'd buy some tomorrow. And there were a few other things he wanted to buy, now that he thought about it.

~~~~

Cam was in the kitchen on Friday when he heard the front door open. He took off his oven mitts and hurried into the living room. "Hey, Jackson!"

"Hey, yourself. Something smells awfully good."

Cam shoved his hands into his pockets. "There's a chunk of salmon marinating in some balsamic and mustard, and there's a corn, radish and black bean salad to go along with."

Daniel gave him a look. "That's not what I'm smelling."

"Fresh baked apple pie?"

"Ooh." Daniel looked at him more approvingly.

"Hope it turns out all right. I called home and got my mom's recipe."

Daniel raised his eyebrows. "Well, that must have surprised her."

"Why? Who do you think taught me to bake? Mom thinks every boy should know his way around a kitchen." Cam grinned and turned towards his chair. He turned back. "Oh, and if you think you smell coconut, that would be the macaroons, which are my _Grandma's_ recipe. And which ought to be cool along about now."

Daniel nearly knocked him over in his rush to the kitchen.

Cam raised his voice. "You can have _one_ , Jackson." He picked up his work and sat down.

Daniel was gone long enough to wolf down at least _two_ cookies, before coming back to the living room nibbling sedately at one. Which he then nearly choked on. "Mitchell, what are you _doing_?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?" It was hard not to laugh at the look on Daniel's face. "I told you I knew how."

"I know, but I didn't expect you to…." Daniel waved a hand at Cam's knitting.

Cam shrugged. "I guess just talking about it made me realize I kind of missed doing it. It's been a spell."

Daniel sat down heavily on the couch. He polished off his macaroon and asked mildly, "What are you making?"

"If I'm following the instructions right," Cam grinned at him, "it's going to be a winter hat for Teal'c."

Daniel blinked. "He'll like that."

"Hope so. I thought I'd make some mittens for Sam, too. She likes taking walks in the snow and things like that. Mittens'll keep her warmer." Cam held his knitting closer to the lamp for a second. "Hey! You want a scarf?"

Daniel's pleased look and smile were all the answer Cam needed.

~~~~

On Saturday Cam felt a little under the weather, and spent a good part of the day napping on the couch or knitting while watching sports. Daniel went out to the diner three blocks down and surprised him with a styrofoam container full of chicken noodle soup at lunchtime. Cam stupidly felt like he wanted to burst into tears, but managed to control it.

By suppertime he was feeling just fine and craving pizza with lots of onion and spicy Italian sausage, but he figured Daniel would think he was nuts. Besides, even if his stomach was back to normal, the pizza was still an unhealthy idea. "Leftovers?" he suggested.

The corn, black bean and radish salad tasted surprisingly good mixed in with the baked beans, onion and brown sugar. He chose to ignore the look on Daniel's face.

~~~~

It was on Sunday that things started to get a little strange, even to Cam.

'Nutso' was the phrase that Daniel would later use to describe things.

It was about 0300 when Cam woke up _really_ craving that pizza. Twenty minutes later he was perched on the side of Daniel's bed. "Jackson."

"Wha… hey… huh?"

"Is there anything in the lease about painting?"

"What? Painting?"

"Yeah." Cam fiddled with the hem of Daniel's sheet. "Everything in the apartment's white."

"I… really hadn't noticed."

"I'd really like to paint the kitchen at least. Yellow, maybe. Or whatever color you'd like. Can we do that?

"You woke me up… yellow?"

" _Subtle_ yellow. Cheerful, not vulgar."

"I have no idea what's in the lease about painting." Daniel rolled, obviously to look at his clock. "I… couldn't this have waited?"

"Well, I thought we could go out and buy some paint and get started in the morning. If you wanted to, and if it was okay."

"I don't know if it's allowed, and no one is going to be in the office on Sunday. We'll… we'll find out later, okay?"

It really, really _wasn't_ okay. Cam shifted uncomfortably. "Can we at least buy the paint? We can always return it if we have to."

There was a long pause.

"Sure," Daniel said. "Mitchell, are you all right?"

Cam assessed how he was feeling. He was feeling pretty good, if a little bit on the restless side. "Yeah. I'm okay."

"You gonna go back to bed, now?"

Cam yawned. And laughed a little. "Yeah."

He slept well after that, for a few more hours. When he woke up he couldn't fight the craving any more. He dressed and drove to the supermarket, where he bought a sausage pizza. It wouldn't be spicy enough, so he bought a jar of red pepper flakes. When he got home, he started the oven preheating and diced up an onion. He sprinkled the onion on top of the frozen pizza and pondered whether to add the red pepper flakes before or after baking. He compromised by adding a little bit before it went in, with the option of adding more later.

The ding of the oven timer probably woke Daniel up. Cam was blowing on his third slice when Daniel stumbled blearily into the kitchen, and stood there, blinking. "Pizza? For breakfast?"

"I wanted it last night," Cam said. "And, after all, _cold_ pizza for breakfast is downright traditional. This tastes pretty good, too."

Daniel made an unidentifiable sound.

"Grab a plate if you want some."

Daniel blinked, sighed, and grabbed a plate.

Cam hoped he wasn't going to want much, but then Daniel wasn't usually a big breakfast eater. And it was only polite to share.

After three slices Daniel crumpled up his napkin. "So are we still buying paint?"

Cam nodded, his mouth full.

"I probably have a copy of the lease somewhere. I'll go see if I can find it."

It turned out the lease _did_ allow them to paint. So shop they did, and paint they did. The kitchen a cheerful subtle yellow, Cam's room a soothing green, and Cam's bathroom a light blue.

Cam went for a long walk afterwards, filling his lungs with fresh air and happily picturing the home he would come back to. The smell of paint he came back to was actually a little overwhelming. "Man!" He waved a hand in front of his face.

Daniel, somewhat abstracted by whatever book he was reading, commented, "I guess I've gotten used to it."

"Well, it's not that bad out here in the living room." Cam sighed, suddenly feeling weary. "Guess I'll be sleeping on the couch tonight."

Daniel peered up at him. "It's either that or my room."

"I don't think that'll be necessary." Cam rubbed his stomach. "Man." He sank down into his chair.

"On the bright side," Daniel said, "the smell should have pretty much gone away by the time we get home from work tomorrow."

That was when Cam burst into tears at the very thought of going to work. That was when Daniel rushed him to Cheyenne Mountain. That was when the term 'nutso' reared its ugly, but not entirely inappropriate head.

~~~~

"No," Cam said later that night. "That's… crazy talk." He felt like the entire world had just tilted sideways.

"I know." Carolyn Lam shook her head and stared at the lab results she held in her hands. "The blood and urine tests both confirm it." She looked at him, face serious and eyes tired. "I suspected it the minute I heard how you'd been exhibiting classic nesting behavior, but…." She shook her head again. "I didn't believe it."

"I'm _pregnant_?" The words didn't make any more sense coming out of his own mouth than they had coming out of Carolyn's. "How is that even possible?" He felt hysteria bubbling up. "Do you have any idea how long it's been since I've gotten _laid_ , just for starters? Leaving out the whole," he laughed helplessly, "I'm a _guy_ thing?"

"I don't know," she answered. "We're going to have to try to figure this out together. We'll do an ultrasound next and hopefully have a good indication from that of how far along you are."

Cam clapped one hand over his mouth and the other one over his stomach. Tears sprang to his eyes. _This could have been going on for months._.

Carolyn laid down her clipboard and came to his side. "Lie down, Colonel. You're turning pale." She got him settled and draped a sheet over him. "I'll go arrange for the ultrasound." She touched his hand. "You going to be okay?"

Cam nodded and closed his eyes. He felt her hesitating beside him.

"Doctor Jackson's waiting outside," she said softly, hesitantly.

Cam blinked. Daniel. _Home_. He sniffed loudly and nodded. "Okay."

"I'll send him in."

A minute later Daniel was hovering over him. "Hey."

Cam summoned a weak smile. "Jackson, you been hanging around here all this time?"

Daniel shook his head. "I went to my office for a while." He flashed a grin. "Couldn't really concentrate on anything."

Their eyes met in a moment of pure understanding and Cam's smile got a little stronger.

Daniel laid a hand over his and then took it away. "Have you found out anything yet?"

Cam nodded slowly.

Daniel's brow creased. "Is it bad?"

Cam stared up at the ceiling, thinking about the question.

"Mitchell?"

"I'm not sure. I think I'm still in shock."

Daniel was silent. And obviously confused.

"Yeah, I know, right? How can I not know if it's bad news?" Daniel was clearly waiting for him to say more, but Cam felt tongue-tied.

"Am I supposed to guess?" Daniel asked after the silence started to get awkward.

Cam snorted. "Good luck with that."

There was a knock at the door.

"Come on in," Cam said loudly.

The door opened a crack. "Doctor Jackson, could you help, please?"

Daniel pulled the door open and Carolyn came in pushing what Cam had to assume was an ultrasound machine. "Thank you," she said. "This thing steers like a cow."

Daniel helped her position the machine beside the bed. "You short on nurses tonight?"

Carolyn glanced at Cam.

"I think she's trying to keep things on the down-low," Cam said ruefully.

Carolyn shot a meaningful glance at Daniel.

"What, Jackson?" Cam snickered. "He was just offering to guess what's wrong with me. I suppose we could let him hang around for the exam and let him get his answer that way." His voice was shaking badly by the time he reached the end of the sentence.

Carolyn picked up his hand and put her fingers to his wrist. Cam pressed his lips together. Daniel hovered, looking concerned. Carolyn counted silently for a few seconds, then lowered Cam's hand to the bed. "We'll have to wait for Doctor Sullivan to arrive. This really isn't my area of expertise. It shouldn't be a very long wait."

"Doctor Sullivan?" Daniel said sharply.

"You've probably never met her," Carolyn answered unhelpfully.

"Oh, lord!" Cam choked. "She's the OB/GYN, right?"

"She's the best person to administer and evaluate the sonogram."

"Wait, wait." Daniel raised a finger. "Wait."

Cam and Carolyn waited.

"No," Daniel said.

Carolyn raised her eyebrows and tugged at her earlobe.

"No," Daniel repeated, more loudly.

"The look on your face," Cam said fondly. He found that there was something strangely soothing about it.

~~~~

Cam had slept surprisingly well after Doctors Lam and Sullivan wheeled the machine away; after he'd gotten Daniel's promise to fill Sam and Teal'c in before they heard it anywhere else and to get some sleep himself.

He'd slept with a picture of his child tucked under the corner of his pillow. Doctor Sullivan had printed it and handed it to him as casually and without question as she might to any expectant parent under her care, for which Cam was grateful, because he never would've thought to ask. She'd told him that the fetus had a strong heartbeat, appeared to be healthy and about three months old, and that, yes, they all looked that way at that age.

Obviously it wasn't all that simple, but for the moment Cam had let it suffice. Stunned, exhausted and strangely content, he'd slept.

Contentment didn't last long after he woke. Carolyn, looking like she hadn't slept at all, quietly told him a few cold, hard facts and received his reluctant permission to perform risky amniocentesis.

The fact was that although the child carried inside him appeared to be human, only a DNA test would prove it beyond doubt. The fact was that, as the ultrasound had shown, Cam had somehow developed a womb, but he had not grown a vagina. There was no birth canal, nowhere for a baby to go. The fact was that the provenance of the child was utterly unknown. Cam might not even be a biological parent to it. The possibility had to be considered that, in some way they hadn't imagined yet, this small fetus was meant to be a weapon.

At 1400, SG-1 and Doctor Lam crowded into General Landry's office for a briefing. Cam would've rather been back in the infirmary, with the covers pulled up over his head. He felt sulky, when he figured he should've been feeling scared. Maybe he'd just work on feeling numb. That would probably turn out to be for the best, no matter how things developed.

Landry looked concerned. Carolyn looked grim. Sam looked like she wanted to hold Cam's hand. Daniel looked frazzled. Teal'c looked… well, actually Teal'c looked pretty much the same as always, or maybe a little more on the smug side than usual. Cam caught his eye and gave him a 'what's up?' lift of the chin.

"Let's get started," Landry said.

"General Landry, I believe it would be wise if we delay proceedings for a moment or two in order to avoid unnecessary repetition."

"Repetition?" Landry asked, eyebrows raised. "Teal'c, are we expecting someone else?"

"We are," Teal'c calmly replied. "I am certain he will arrive momentarily."

"He who?" Daniel asked ungrammatically.

There was a bright flash of white light out in the briefing room, followed a second later by a knock on the office door.

Landry opened his mouth, but before he could say anything the door opened.

"Hellooo. May I come in?"

"Sir!"

Cam was a second or two behind Sam in getting to his feet, and he had a brief vision of a future self with a huge belly and a whacked-out center of balance… "General O'Neill."

"Jack?" Daniel said.

"Come in," Landry said. "We're out of chairs, though."

Sam started for the doorway. "I'll grab one…."

"At ease, Carter. I'll stand. I just got out of a long, dull meeting; my legs could use a stretch."

"How did you get here?" Daniel asked, narrowing his eyes suspiciously. " _Prometheus_ isn't in orbit."

"I hitched a ride with Thor. He says 'hi', by the way." Jack beamed innocently at the room in general.

"We were just about to get started," Landry said pointedly.

Jack waved a hand. "Do. Yes."

"Item one is a brief overview of Colonel Mitchell's situation. Doctor?"

Carolyn shifted in her seat. "Briefly? We're waiting on DNA results, but blood tests indicate no abnormalities in the fetus thus far. It appears to be a healthy human, between three and three-and-a-half months of age, with a blood type that's compatible with the Colonel being one of its parents. The blood types aren't identical, which rules out the possibility of this being a clone. So the operating assumption is that other genetic material besides Colonel Mitchell's went into the creation of this life.

"Colonel Mitchell's own current health is good, other than…" Carolyn's mouth twisted, "hormonal difficulties that I think could be expected from a patient who naturally has had no experience with female hormones. From a purely medical standpoint, I have two patients who require monitoring but no immediate action; however there's a very sizable problem looming down the road."

"The child's birth," Teal'c said.

"Yes. I'm hoping that the rest of you can figure out when and where this happened, and either find help or bring me more information to work with. A C-section is what we're looking at now, but obviously that procedure has never been performed on a human male before. We'll continue studying the problem, of course."

"Not necessary," Jack said.

"Say what?" Cam asked. _Not necessary?_

"It's all worked out. All taken care of." Jack waved his hand.

Daniel pushed up his glasses. "Thor?" he guessed.

"Indeed," Teal'c said, with a serene inclination of his head.

"Well, not _all_ worked out. But Thor's on top of it. No biggie, he says." Jack waggled his head. "Not in those exact words, of course."

"The Asgard," Daniel said sharply, "haven't reproduced sexually in nearly a thousand years. I'm not sure how that qualifies Thor…."

"Beaming technology," Jack said, cutting Daniel off.

"Sir?" Sam said.

"It was all Teal'c's idea," Jack added.

"What?" Daniel said.

"Not precisely, O'Neill."

"Still, you get the credit."

"I don't care whose idea it is," Landry said. "I'm waiting to hear _what_ it is!"

"You and me both, sir," Cam said loudly. Maybe a little too loudly, based on the way everyone was turning to look at him.

"A C-section, as you call it, accomplished through the method of beaming the infant out of the womb."

"That can be done?" Carolyn asked, looking intrigued and hopeful.

"Thor says yes. He's standing by." Jack pointed at the ceiling.

Cam shuffled his feet and leaned back in his chair, feeling nearly sick with relief.

"You thought of that, Teal'c?" Sam asked, starting to smile.

"I witnessed it. On an episode of _Star Trek: Deep Space Nine_ , where Keiko O'Brien's child was delivered from out of Major Kira's body in such a manner. It seemed to be the obvious solution to the current dilemma."

"So you called Jack," Daniel said with a slow smile of his own.

"Yes, he did." Jack exuded smugness. "And I called my buddy Thor."

Landry rapped on his desktop. "That would seem to take care of item number one for the moment. Item two boils down to: how the hell did this happen? Colonel Carter?"

"Uh, Daniel and I have been going over our mission reports, based on the estimated age of the, um, the child, looking for a time when Colonel Mitchell might have been separated from the rest of us while off-world, or for a discrepancy in his filed reports that could indicate a period of lost time, a blank in his memory."

"We're looking at an extra half a month now," Carolyn pointed out.

Sam nodded. "We already built in a margin of error – a full month in either direction."

"You didn't find anything," Cam said. He'd been searching his own memory.

"No. No, we didn't," Daniel said. "Nothing like _that_."

"So what did you find?" Jack asked.

"Only one incident that could be considered unusual and possibly pertinent in the circumstances. P42-517." Daniel looked at Cam and licked his lips.

Cam ran a hand over his jaw. "Okay, pertinent in that I was _naked_?" He saw both Landry's and O'Neill's eyebrows go up. "It was the place with the pool, right? Pool of Harmony, or Brotherhood, or something."

"'Harmony and Peace'," Daniel clarified, looking at his shoes.

"Yeah," Cam said. "They wanted one of us to wade through it. To carry a torch and walk to this altar-thing and light this humongous candle."

"So you did," Landry said.

"So I did," Cam agreed.

"Daniel?" Jack said softly. "That sounds like your cup of tea."

Daniel drummed his fingers on Landry's desk. "Yeah."

There was a brief silence. Then Sam said, "Daniel waded, too."

Daniel winced, and Jack said, "Of course he did. Doctor Lam?"

"We'll check him out, General."

"Which raises the question," Jack said testily. "How was this missed up until now?"

"Jack," Landry said.

"It's a simple question, Hank. I don't care whose daughter she is."

Carolyn flushed. "It was missed, General O'Neill, because we do not as a rule administer pregnancy tests to male personnel. Because no matter how many times Colonel Mitchell's blood or urine was tested in the last three and a half months, they were never tested for _that_. We never listened to his abdomen for a fetal heartbeat. He never passed out or reported that he was feeling sick in the mornings. He had no menses to be interrupted. His weight chart shows that he's gained a grand total of two pounds, which does not raise any red flags."

"That's enough," Landry said shortly. "Are you satisfied, Jack?"

The look on O'Neill's face was not the look of a man who was satisfied.

"We would have caught it eventually, General. More weight gain, a thickening waistline, changes in energy levels."

"You gained any weight, Daniel?"

"If I have it's all been in the last week."

Daniel and Cam exchanged looks.

"Why's that?" Sam asked curiously.

"Because Mitchell's been 'nesting'."

"Come again?" Jack said.

"Nesting behavior is fairly common among pregnant women," Carolyn said. "Cleaning the home, decorating the nursery, stocking the freezer with prepared meals."

"Baking macaroons," Cam said sadly. He could use a macaroon about now.

"It usually happens further along in the pregnancy, but as I mentioned before, Colonel Mitchell has no previous experience with female hormones, so the effects on him were quite pronounced."

"I like macaroons." Jack sounded wistful.

"So do I," Landry said. "Item three. What now? Colonel Carter?"

"Go back to P42-517 and gather more information from the Vendrikarans."

"Doctor?"

"Continue monitoring Colonel Mitchell, test Doctor Jackson, see what the DNA tests tell us." Carolyn took a deep breath. "I don't think it's the medical department's job to decide what happens if the DNA test reveals anomalies."

Cam closed his eyes briefly.

"We'll work with Thor as needed," Carolyn continued.

That sounded better. Cam decided to hang onto that.

"All right," Landry said. "Doctor Jackson, Mitchell, you're with Doctor Lam. Colonel Carter, you'll prepare to lead a team to 517 with Teal'c. Take SGs 3 and 6 with you as backup."

Daniel frowned. "The Vendrikarans were friendly to us. I'm not sure that a show of force…."

"Ten people is hardly a show of force, Doctor Jackson."

"Oh, and genetically altering our people without their knowledge or consent?" Jack scrunched up his face. "Not so friendly."

"I'm sure you think they had some kind of dark and evil agenda."

"That's the assumption I'm currently working under, yes. You wanna make something of it?"

Cam felt his eyes go wide.

Daniel sighed and let his head sag forward.

"Permission to accompany Colonel Carter's team, General."

Landry threw his hands up in the air. "As if I could stop you."

"By the way, Mitchell."

Cam knew he was still staring like a deer in the headlights. "Sir?"

"I gotta say, as often as I had something downloaded into my noggin, at least I never had anything," Jack paused to insert an obscene gesture with two fingers, "uploaded into my…."

"Dismissed," Landry roared.

~~~~

At 1800 they all met again. Sam was looking pissed off and skeptical, Jack bemused and Teal'c… again Teal'c looked pretty much the same as usual.

"Let's get the medical report out of the way," Landry said.

Carolyn sighed. "Still waiting for DNA results. Colonel Mitchell continues in good health. Doctor Jackson is _not_ pregnant. And, yes, General O'Neill, we checked him out thoroughly; and, yes, we still might be missing something. But he's definitely not pregnant."

"I didn't say anything," Jack commented mildly, with a faintly apologetic shrug.

Landry exchanged an amused glance with his daughter. "Colonel Carter? What have you learned?"

"According to the Vendrikarans, the pool that Colonel Mitchell and Daniel waded in has magic properties."

"Magic," Jack muttered distastefully.

"Magic," Daniel said flatly.

"Maybe you misunderstood me, Colonel. I want to know what you've _learned_ , not what they told you."

"I learned that eleven armed visitors does constitute a show of force, and that they were offended." Sam looked at Jack and Teal'c. "But not very."

"There was some 'tsk'ing," Jack said. "Perhaps a 'tut' or two."

"I did not receive the impression that they either feared us or were concealing anything from us. They claimed to have no knowledge of what had happened to Mitchell. On the whole, I am inclined to believe them," Teal'c added.

"They claim that the pool has been known to grant wishes. Of varying natures. Including children to infertile couples who have waded to the altar together and lit a candle." Sam sounded like she was reciting a fairy tale.

"That sounds like a load of crap to me," Cam said, without looking up from the sketch he was making of his bedroom. If he pushed his bed against the wall, _there_ , and moved the dresser to the other wall….

"Daniel?"

"Jack?"

"Isn't this where you give us the lecture on how all legends and myths have some sort of truth behind them, yadda yadda?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because it sounds like a load of crap to me, too."

Cam snorted quietly as he sketched a hamper next to the changing table.

"Oh, I mean, come on!" Daniel continued. "It's not like Mitchell and I walked into that pool wishing for a baby! Together? Really?"

"Hold it," Jack said. "What's this?"

"Are you the father of Mitchell's baby, Daniel Jackson?"

Daniel groaned quietly.

Cam was starting to think that his nightstand was going to have to go, to make room for the crib.

"Daniel?" Sam asked.

"My blood type is a match, okay?"

"As I said," Carolyn interjected, "we're waiting for DNA results. Including paternity. I thought it was premature to discuss it at this point."

"Well, well."

"Don't start, Jack."

"Oh, but this is interesting."

"Don't start, General," Cam said clearly, tapping the drawing with the pencil eraser. He'd forgotten about a dresser for the baby's clothes. Unless the changing table could have drawers underneath? Or maybe cupboards on the wall. He looked up, trying to visualize it, and found everyone staring at him. "What?" He tried out a smile on them.

"Nothing, son," Landry said. "Colonel Carter?"

"Yessir. They told us the story about the pool being magic; I asked to see it and to be allowed to take samples of the water. They didn't like that idea, but they didn't get upset about it. They just kept saying no."

"Until they said yes," Teal'c added.

"Out of the blue. It's not like I threatened them with my P-90 or anything," Jack said.

It amused Cam that everyone at the table was now staring at the general. He hummed under his breath as he returned his attention to his sketch.

"So they escorted us to the pool, only to find out that it was completely empty. Not a drop of water anywhere."

"They drained it. They kept you busy arguing while someone else drained it," Daniel suggested.

"Funny about that," Jack murmured.

"We didn't actually see a drain. Anywhere. Or an inlet for that matter. There was no indication whatsoever of how water could enter or leave that pool."

Cam looked up. "Magic?"

"I am unconvinced," Teal'c said, but from his tone it sounded like he was completely convinced and would welcome someone who could _un_ convince him. "However they did seem to be genuinely surprised."

"Downright shocked," Jack said. "Or putting on a really good show. One of them said his grandfather told him he'd seen the pool empty once, when he was a kid."

"Anyway, we took measurements, pictures, video. There was something on the front of the altar that looks like writing, Daniel. The part that was underwater before."

"I'll take a look at it."

"We, uh. We didn't actually enter the pool." Sam bit her lip. "We weren't sure it was safe, with or without water." She was looking at Cam.

"I don't blame you," he said promptly. "I wouldn't want anyone else getting… well, hurt or whatever. And hey, even if you'd found a secret compartment with an instruction manual, it wouldn't change what's happened."

"There might have been a way to reverse it," Sam said.

"I know you mean well, Sam, but I'm not thinking along those lines." Cam bent his head over his sketch, frowning. A brief, awkward silence ensued.

"I've just remembered something," Daniel said.

The tone in his voice jerked Cam to attention. "What?"

"Before we went into the building with the pool."

"Yeah?"

"Do you remember the woman with the…?"

"Twins," Cam breathed. Two of the cutest little boys you'd ever want to… "Oh."

Daniel licked his lips. "I think maybe we were wishing for a child when we entered the pool."

Cam stared at him. "I've always wanted kids."

Daniel looked away.

"What?" Cam said softly.

"Nothing," Daniel said. "Just… I saw how you looked at those boys and I thought what a great dad you would be."

"Bingo," Cam sighed, closing his eyes.

~~~~

They let Cam out of the infirmary that night, to sleep in VIP quarters. He woke feeling both deeply rested and ready for a nap. Also, both ravenous and nauseated. He sent an airman to the mess for some plain toast and laid back down for another half hour after he'd eaten it.

The ringing phone woke him. The DNA results were in. Cam splashed water on his face and brushed his teeth before heading to Carolyn's office.

Daniel was already there.

~~~~

Cam was sure this wouldn't be the last briefing that was focused on him, but he hoped it would be the last one for a while. He felt better for having Daniel sitting at his side, but he wasn't sure how Daniel felt about it. Any of it. He was so quiet.

Cam realized he was drumming his fingernails on Landry's desk. He stopped and put his hands in his lap. One hand drifted up to his stomach. He found he was doing that a lot.

"Doctor Lam," Landry said.

Cam inhaled.

"DNA testing shows that the fetus is entirely human. Colonel Mitchell and Doctor Jackson are her genetic parents."

"Her?" Sam exclaimed.

"You're in charge of picking out baby clothes," Daniel said.

Cam rubbed his stomach. "I second that."

"I rejoice with you."

Tears prickled in Cam's eyes. "Thank you, Teal'c."

Daniel was looking down and smiling.

"You both have my full support," Landry said. "I can tell you from experience that daughters are something special."

"Dad," Carolyn muttered.

All eyes turned to General O'Neill. "My turn, is it? Well, I never thought I would see the day." All eyes remained on him, and he cleared his throat. "But, seriously. I want to wish the three of you all the happiness there is. And," he wagged a finger, "if you ever need anything – anything at all – count on Uncle Jack."

" _Uncle_ Jack?" Daniel said.

"And why not?" Jack looked affronted.

"I was actually thinking _Grandpa_ Jack. It just has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"

"I agree," Landry said, eyes gleaming.

"Daniel."

"Jack."

"If you want to live to enjoy the… fruit of your loins…."

"Uncle Jack it is," Cam said loudly.

"Thank you." Jack made a face. "Hopefully you won't change your mind after this next bit. Item two, right, Hank? I know how you love your items."

"Item two," Landry said. "General O'Neill shoots his mouth off."

Teal'c, of all people, snorted. Landry waggled his eyebrows at him, and that got Sam started.

Cam was less amused. He discovered that he was drumming his fingers on the desk again. He decided not to stop.

"I want you to know that I took this as high as I could," Jack said, looking at Cam.

Cam nodded and kept drumming.

"Once you start showing, you can't be allowed outside the mountain. Even just to go topside, you'd have to get past all sorts of NORAD personnel. We can't let that happen."

"I understand," Cam said in a small voice.

"Sunlight and fresh air are important in any pregnancy," Carolyn began.

Jack spread a hand. "Yes. And." He pointed a finger. "Will be available to Colonel Mitchell at the Alpha Site. If we believe that 'gate travel will be safe for him in his condition?"

Carolyn blinked. "I'm sure that pregnant women have been going through the Stargate…."

"For thousands of years," Daniel finished.

"Women. Yes," Jack said. "Are we sure…?"

"'Scuse me?" Cam held up his hand. "Hello? I've been going through the Stargate for the last three months. And the baby's still healthy, right?"

"Right!" Carolyn said.

"Yes! Excellent," Jack said. He made a face. "Now for the bad part."

"What bad part?" Daniel asked.

"You can't go home," Jack said. "I'm sorry."

"What?" Daniel said. "He's not showing, why can't…?"

"The whole… hormonal thing. We just can't have Mitchell out in public when we don't know when he might fly off the bat…."

"You can't," Cam said. "You can't just keep me here!"

"I'm sorry," Jack said. "I really am. Until you start showing you can go topside with an escort, but we can't let you go off base."

" _Fuck_ that!" Cam slammed his hand down on Landry's desk. "I have to… Jackson, let go!"

Daniel had taken hold of his wrist. "We're going to take a minute out in the briefing room. Come on."

Daniel had him through the door before Cam knew what was happening. "Look, Mitchell."

Cam shook himself free. "I need to go _home_!"

"I know," Daniel said. "We all know. And that – that _need_ is exactly why you have to stay here. You're not in control of yourself. Mitchell, you know that!"

Tears started to stream down Cam's cheeks. "Help me! Talk to O'Neill, he'll listen to you!"

"I already _talked_ to him!"

Cam's jaw dropped.

Daniel gently took hold of his arm. "He understands, and he's done everything he could."

Cam clutched at Daniel wordlessly.

"I understand, too. I'll help; I'll do everything I can. I'll keep the apartment clean, I'll paint, buy furniture. I'll take photos, video, I'll measure rooms – whatever you need from me. I'll do whatever needs to be done. I won't let you down. I know you want to be there, to do it yourself. But you can _trust_ me."

"Jackson." _It wasn't the same._

"I know. I know. Do you think I would let our daughter down?"

Cam stared at him.

"Do you think I don't want everything to be absolutely perfect for her?"

Cam blinked and inhaled.

"Oh, my God! You didn't know!"

"You didn't _say_."

Daniel took Cam into his arms. "You and I are in this together, all the way. We're going to love her, and… well, I don't know _what_ we're going to do, but we're going to do it together, okay?"

Cam made a sound.

"I'll bring you _yarn_ , okay?" Daniel squeezed Cam tighter. "I'll water the plants you bought."

"Herbs."

"I'll water them. We'll make all this work."

Cam let himself believe it.

~~~~

"It was all worth it, right?"

Cam reflected back on the last five months. The incessant, thwarted drive to go home, the unsatisfied hormonal urge for sex and bonding, the occasional snicker or sneer encountered at the Alpha Site. The aches, the fatigue, the nausea, the moments, the _hours_ of depression.

The supportive emails from General O'Neill, the tender care from the medical staff, the solemn, scientific interest from Thor, the many kindnesses of Landry.

Sam's growing glee, Teal'c's calm joy.

Daniel's intense attention, dedicated care of their home and increasing physical closeness.

Carolyn popped her head into the room, smiled, and popped right out again.

Cam lay on his side, his head pillowed on Daniel's shoulder, watching their Tessa sleeping in Daniel's arms. "Absolutely worth it," he said quietly.

Daniel's answering kiss was awkward, but it was because of their positions, and because of the baby he held. Cam was well acquainted by now with the sweetness and skill of Daniel's usual kisses, and with the tingle they brought.

The tingle of anticipation.


End file.
